Kirkland Arts Center Announces Temporary Closure, Effective Immediately

Kirkland Arts Center has announced that it will temporarily close.

They have released the following statement:

Effective today, March 12th, we are temporarily closing Kirkland Arts Center. Today's evening classes are canceled, and afternoon classes have been decided on a case-by-case basis. At this time, we plan for classes and open studios to resume as planned on April 5th and the gallery to reopen with the new exhibition, Reflections, on April 1st. The building will be closed to everyone except staff at 5 pm today. Please note, staff is also being strongly encouraged to work from home in order to support public health efforts. We take our commitments to teaching artists very seriously, and as such all teaching artists will be compensated in full for winter quarter.

We understand this presents unique challenges for our ceramics community. Students may pick up finished work, works in progress, or tools before 5 pm today, or between 10 am and 2 pm Saturday and Sunday. The studios will not be open for work or congregating. If you have questions about this, please contact Pat Colyar by email at pcolyar@kirklandartscenter.org.

We are working with staff, the board of directors, and teaching artists to develop resources for you to maintain a sense of community and enhance your creative practice at home during this time.

After completing plans and communications for this immediate closure, staff and board will begin work on contingency plans for the future. We intend to explore opportunities for students to take classes remotely and equitable methods for teachers to provide meaningful experiences to their students.

You are welcome to contact us for a prorated credit to your account. However, we do ask you to consider contributing your full tuition amount to support Kirkland Arts Center and the teaching artists we employ at this time. As you are no doubt experiencing, a public health event like this raises unprecedented challenges for everyone, particularly for a non-profit, mission-driven organization like KAC. Please consider making a donation of whatever amount you are able to support the future of this place so many of us consider a second home.

You are a community that has pulled together to do amazing things in the past. Now, we pull together to do our part in healing the community at large.

Lauren Lyddon Communications Manager Kirkland Arts Center

p.s. If you have specific questions, not answered in this email, please check this FAQ page specifically created for the challenges this creates.